James Pitts had plenty of camping experience before 2019 but mostly in tents. He spent little time in a recreational vehicle.
Now, Pitts can’t get enough of RVs. The Atlanta commercial real estate broker is fascinated by Airstreams. Pitts and his wife, Anne Marie, purchased 20 acres in Northwest Georgia in April of 2021. They’re developing an RV park on the site for exclusive use by owners of Airstream RVs. The park, which they are calling Cloud Camp, will have nine parking spots for Airstreams. It will also have a few Airstreams available for rent.
The Airstream brand of RV is notable for its rounded frame, aluminum exterior and midcentury modern aesthetic. The first model was introduced in the 1920s, and the caravan’s popularity started to soar in the 1950s. They've been manufactured exclusively in Jackson Center, Ohio, since 1979.
The idea for an RV campground came to the 57-year-old Pitts during the pandemic when he was searching for ways to get out of the house.
Just before the pandemic, he’d bought a 2004 International CCD model Airstream. He realized that roaming the country in the Airstream would be the perfect way to stop from going stir-crazy at home.
“It was a great way to see friends and family,” he said.
The RV park combines Pitts’ hobby with his paid vocation. He’s the founder of Greenwood CRE, one of the largest Black-owned brokerages in the United States. His firm is involved in office, retail, multifamily and industrial properties. Previously, he worked for JLL and Grubb & Ellis.
Even though they both deal with real estate, creating an RV park is not the same as negotiating an office lease, Pitts said.
Pitts and his wife scouted potential locations for the park before identifying a 20-acre parcel near Trenton, Georgia. He negotiated its purchase for $100,000 and then found a contractor. He and his wife also installed lighting and arranged for water, sewer and power connections.
As of late, he’s been working on a list of instructions for visitors.
“It’s not like walking into an apartment,” Pitts said. “You have to turn on the water heater for a shower.”
Pitts expects Cloud Camp will open in September.
The camp will offer a rustic camping experience. Cloud Camp is located on top of the Georgia section of Lookout Mountain, an 80-mile ridge that stretches from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Gadsden, Alabama. It’s near Pigeon Mountain, a fork of Lookout Mountain known for its caves and its array of rare salamanders.
Most importantly for Pitts, his Airstream camp is about 12 miles from Cloudland Canyon State Park, one of the most-visited state parks in Georgia. The canyon is a gorge cut into the side of Lookout Mountain and is known for its scenery, hiking trails and waterfalls.
Pitts isn’t worried about attracting Airstream-driving customers to Cloud Camp. For one, he’s got a built-in fan base in Airstream owners to serve as his clientele. At least a dozen Airstream-only parks are open nationwide, from the Jersey Shore in the Northeast to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
The broader RV industry has seen a big spike of users. Total RV shipments through June 30 rose 9% to 228,310, compared to the same six-month period in 2021, according to the RV Industry Association, which is based in Elkhart, Indiana.
About 16 million households went on a camping trip in July, about the same as the number in July last year, according to Kampgrounds of America. The number would have been higher except for high gas prices and other impacts of inflation, KOA said.
Airstream owners fall squarely in the group of dedicated campers, Pitts said. In fact, they're somewhat obsessive about their hobby. Airstream rallies are held at least a couple of times a month all over the country, Pitts said.
“It’s not a cult, but it is a very tight-knit group,” he said.
Then there are the newbies. Pitts figures he’ll be able to find some Airstream converts in his new neck of the woods, all of whom have the potential to be Cloud Camp clients.
“Whenever we pull up at a gas station, people always come up and say, ‘We love your Airstream. Can we look inside?’” he said.